Riviere de Galets Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

We're looking at a pretty tough stretch ahead, to be honest. The opening days are a write-off with onshore slop, and the real standout is a long way off, so you'll need some patience.

Riviere de Galets is the only spot on the radar, a reef and point setup that's fairly consistent. The water is sitting at 76°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

The first week is a real grind. Tuesday morning kicks off with a messy 8ft easterly swell at 9 seconds, but a strong 19 mph cross-shore wind is turning it into lumpy chop. The wave energy is moderate (1337), but the quality is just not there. This same pattern of fresh cross-shore winds and lumpy, poor surf hangs around right through until Friday, with swell heights hovering around 8ft. The afternoon of Friday the 4th sees a jump in energy to 1843, but it's still cross-shore junk.

Saturday the 5th sees a real shift. A new long-period groundswell from the southwest fills in at 6ft, with a period of 14 seconds. The wind is still a cross-onshore, but it's much lighter at 9 mph, and the wave energy is strong at 1712. It's still marginal, but it's the first sign of life. That long-period SW groundswell sticks around through Sunday with a 5ft to 4ft range, but it's still a bit messy.

Monday the 7th is interesting. The SW groundswell is back up to 6ft with a 14-second period, and the wind goes light and variable from the SW at just 6 mph. The energy is strong at 1556. It's a cross-on breeze, but it's light, so it could be worth a paddle for an intermediate.

Then things get ugly. Tuesday the 8th sees a massive pulse of swell, jumping to 13ft on Tuesday morning and 15ft by the afternoon. The wind is a fresh 22 mph cross-onshore. The energy is off the charts at 10401, but the conditions are pure chaos. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it's going to be a washing machine, probably more of a kite session than a paddle session. This monster swell peaks on Wednesday the 9th with a 16ft, 17-second SW groundswell and a staggering 14892 energy reading, but it's still hammered by a 22 mph cross-onshore. It stays big and blown out right through to Thursday the 10th.

After that storm passes, it takes a while to clean up. The 11th and 12th of September are still messy and lumpy with 8ft easterly windswell and fresh cross-shore winds.

Now, here's the standout. Sunday the 13th of September. A new, very long-period SSW groundswell arrives at 10ft with a period of 18 seconds. The wind is a moderate 12 mph cross-shore from the east, the energy is very strong at 7076, and the file says the wind and tide are favorable. However, the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. With 10ft of groundswell, this is for experts only, and even then, it's a full-on mission. The long period (18 seconds) means it will be a freight train, especially at a reef and point. Monday the 14th is a step down, with a 8ft SSW swell at 15 seconds, light cross-shore winds from the east at 6 mph, and solid energy (2947). It's still a big, powerful swell, but much more manageable.

The last day on the calendar, Tuesday the 15th of September, has a drop in size to 5ft from the south with a 13-second period, but the winds are back to a light cross-shore, making it marginal but at least a possibility.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a right-off with onshore winds. The best window is the long-range call for Sunday the 13th of September, but that's a serious, expert-only swell that might be too big. The more realistic option is Monday the 14th of September, with a big but cleaner SSW groundswell and light winds. After that, it looks like it's dropping off and getting windier again.

Rusty, signing off.

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